The FC was the first version of the film I saw. I watched the TC the next day. I have now seen all versions multiple times.

I always thought a big part of Deckard's journey was deciding that replicants were people, and therefore killing them was wrong. He had been sucked into a system that told him killing replicants was fine, and he just went along with it. But at the end, he is free from that system, and so regains his humanity.

In the theatrical cut, this is the first thing we hear Deckard say (voiceover):

"They don't advertise for killers in a newspaper. That was my profession. Ex-cop. Ex-Blade Runner. Ex-killer."

That line really stood out to me. Here, Deckard calls himself a killer in no uncertain terms. He indicates that he believes "retiring" replicants is killing. This seems to throw a wrench into everything I just said. He believes killing replicants is wrong from the beginning.

What do you all think? I am still thinking it through.

Last edited by Ambiguous on Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sounds like you have it down already. That is still one of the best lines in the movie, that is no longer in the movie. Personally the Voice Over can be intrusive and just plain silly, but it is great in the introductory scene for the most part, it really works. It sets up a lot of his actions that might not make sense otherwise. You can figure it all out without it, but it leaves a lot more ambiguity, and almost leaves his character undefined completely, which is tough for a main character.

He was already retired and done with the job. He knew what he was, that is why he was so hesitant to take the job. It would have made sense if he was new to the job. I think te arc was that he found a way to deal with his guilt by trying to save Rachael. Even if he wasn't a replicant he chose to side with them, and become one of them as a wanted man.